Official Pest Reports are provided by National Plant Protection Organizations within the NAPPO region. These Pest Reports are intended to
comply with the International Plant Protection Convention's Standard on Pest Reporting, endorsed
by the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures in March 2002.

Contact: Anthony Man-Son-Hing, Field Operations Manager, at 919-855-7331 or Evelia Sosa, National Program Policy Manager, at 301-851-2217

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is notifying stakeholders of a new regulated area (referred to as Zone AA) for giant African snail (GAS) in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Program personnel have recently detected GAS in areas that were outside of the existing regulated areas in Miami. The revised map and description of the new regulated area are posted on the APHIS website at

In September 2011, APHIS confirmed the detection of GAS, Lissachatina fulica, in a residential area of Miami, Florida. GAS is one of the most damaging snails in the world because it is known to eat at least 500 different types of plants including many vegetables, fruits, and ornamental crops. Since the initial detection, APHIS has actively worked with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to conduct survey, regulatory, control, and outreach activities within the affected areas.

Under IPPC standards, Lissachatina fulica is considered to be a pest that is transient: actionable, and under eradication in the United States.